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Chapter 90 ~ Check… And Mate

“Mr. Lloyd, what’s going on?!”

Sitting within the still-opened cockpit of the Lancelot, Suzaku turned around and asked the genius scientist and creator of the Lancelot, Lloyd Asplund, anxiously. 

Discrimination against the honorary Britannian pilot caused the Lancelot to be placed far from the front lines, even further than those stationed to guard the rearlines. 

“Hm, something quite unnatural, I should say.”

“Unnatural?”

“It’s unconfirmed, but there are reports that the Black Knights have appeared.”

“Zero…!”

Suzaku mumbled under his breath in shock. Memories of his meeting with him when the mysterious leader of the Black Knights “rescued” him from his false conviction for Prince Clovis’ murder. 

“Congratulations~! We may get our turn after all~”

“My. Lloyd!”

“That’s reckless!”

From his side, Lloyd’s assistant and fellow engineer, Cecile Croomy, admonished Lloyd’s words, to which he just laughed it off. 

“Anyway~ Until the high command gets all the information, we’re stuck trying to figure out how to react, right~?”

Meanwhile, within the headquarters, chaos and anxiousness surrounding the Viceroy Cornelia’s safety filled the head command room. 

“Is the viceroy alright?!”

“She was outside the slide flow, so she’s most likely safe… But since the units securing her rear moved in, she’s now practically isolated.”

“What the hell are those purebloods doing?!”

Officers and advisors to the Viceroy stood around in frustration at the sudden changing tides of battle. And standing in their midst was the beautiful, pink-haired princess and little sister to Cornelia, Euphemia li Britannia. 

She stood firm, masking her anxiety and worry for her sister with a firm, strong expression in front of others. 

Sister… Please be safe…

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

“Guren, Excalibur, head to your designated area!!! The remaining forces here will go after Cornelia!”

“Yes!”

“Got it!”

“We’re gonna pull this off!!!” 

Karen, Mordred, and Zero split off from the rest of the knightmare frames, the ones from Ainz’s unit and come as reinforcement for Zero, and made their way to the location they’ve designated before. 

Despite having a few knightmare frames and most of the members being on foot, the Black Knights have managed to pick off several squads of the Britannian army which included several units with Sutherlands and tank units. 

And despite Zero’s words to “go after Cornelia”, the Black Knights didn’t actually plan on attacking units directly under Cornelia’s command. There was no need to fight against enemies who both out matched them in terms of technology and skill. All they had to do was pick off easy targets and further isolate Cornelia so that their greatest weapons, the Guren and the Excalibur, could fight her without any interruptions. 

And that’s exactly what was going on. 

Within the head command center of the Britannian Army, the officers were becoming increasingly frustrated as danger loomed their Viceroy. 

“The Purebloods have been defeated?!”

“Y-Y-Yes Sir! We have lost signals from Sir Jeremiah, Sir Kewel, and Lady Viletta’s units!”

“Tch! Useless fools! Send in the air troops for support! Do we have any units still free?! We need to get the Viceroy out of there!!!”

“Wait! Something’s approaching the Viceroy from behind!”

Euphemia warned the moment she noticed two small red dots approaching her sister’s units from behind. 

“What?!”

Approaching from behind enemy lines, two large trucks drove up the mountains right into the battlefield. 

No drivers sat behind the steering wheels, which had been fixed to point straight forward by a lock. 

All passengers within the trucks have all bordered the knightmare frames that were loaded behind them. 

“All units, are you ready?”

““Yes, sir!””

“Alright. Deploy the Burai Customs!”

““Moving out!””

Five knightmare frames resembling the burais at first glance, but different and wielding a massive katana in its hand slowly rise from behind the moving truck. 

Sitting within the one at the very front, the one in white amongst  the dark brown color of the other four knightmare frames, Tohdoh addressed his team. 

“Am I clear? If this landslide was man-made, then we’ll be able to take Cornelia’s rear. Capture Cornelia! Right now, we’ll pay them back for what happened seven years ago!”

“Yes! By the honor of the Four Holy Swords!”

Immediately upon entering the battlefield, Tohdoh and the four holy swords ripped apart through the rearguards guarding Cornelia. 

Wielding the powerful Revolving Blade Swords, which were superheated rotating blades that was equivalent and the answer to Britannia’s Maser Vibration Sword which Lancelot and Excalibur wields”, the aces of the Japan Liberation Force cut through the enemy Sutherlands with ease. 

“Don’t assume they’re mere burais!”

“This sure reminds me of seven years ago~”

“But it’s different now. This time, we have knightmares as well!!!”

Tohdoh’s squad continued to cut through the Britannian knightmare frames one by one, inching closer and closer towards their goal; Cornelia.

“Your highness! Please leave them to us! Withdraw from this place at once!”

Guildford leaped into battle, right towards the white burai kai which belonged to Tohdoh, and halted his unstoppable advance in its tracks. 

“Very well… Then I shall leave this to you, Guilford!”

“Yes!”

“Once you fend them off, meet me at point 9!”

“Point 9…? Understood!”

Cornelia retreated away from the fight, breaking through the guard of the two of four holy swords that came to prevent her escape. 

“Out of the way!”

“Kuh!”

“Dammit!”

Cornelia swung her giant lance, pushing one of the knightmare to the sides, and maneuvered right in between the space she had created for herself. 

And just as they were about to pursue, Cornelia’s knights in Gloucesters blocked their path and forced them into a fight. 

Meanwhile, Guilford faced Tohdoh in a one on one battle. 

“Kuh…!”

He fought hard, brandishing his lance and utilizing his masterful skill with his knightmare to gain even a sliver of the upper hand against the knight before him. But to his shock and frustration, he could only find himself a match for his skills.

“This is… I’ve heard there was someone in Area 11 with the abilities of a general and a knight… Can this be him? Tohdoh?!”

To be able to see through this chaos… Understanding that if this landslide that isolated Cornelia from her forces was man-made, then the ones who caused it would be aiming at Cornelia right now. Deciding to pin down her guards and isolate Cornelia even further… And actually realizing it by fighting on par even against him, Cornlia’s personal knight. 

He didn’t expect that he would meet him right here in this situation…! But…

“Even so… he’s no match for me!!!”

Chaos continued to rage from every front. And the Britannians, who once thought they’d annihilate the last remaining fire of hope in the form of the Japan Liberation Force, now found themselves worried and desperate to get to their Viceroy and princess, who had been isolated from her forces. 

In their command headquarters, Euphemia also found herself in an extremely hard place. She was never as good as her sister in terms of strategy… Nor anything. However, right now, she must do something that would save her sister! Yet, she couldn’t see any solutions to this mess.

“Sub-viceroy Euphemia, we must charge in with the G1 and save the Viceroy!”

“No!”

“But with even Commander Guildford pinned down, Viceroy Cornelia’s life is in danger!”

“We can’t! There’s also a field hospital set up here! Not to mention civilians who have evacuated the area!

Besides, this G1 base represents our main headquarters! The viceroy specifically ordered me to not move it, no matter what! That’s why… That’s why-!”

Suddenly, a video window popped out from the screen right in front of Euphemia. 

“Hi there~! Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps, at your service~!”

Lloyd’s voice resounded throughout the head command room of Britannia’s headquarters, shocking Euphemia and her officers who had been tense since the landslide happened. 

“How dare you barge into the head command’s communication line without permission?!”

“You irregulars should be quiet and stick to observing!”

In respond to the officers’ harsh words, Cecile replied meekly. 

“U-Uhm, yes, sir. N-Normally we would, but…”

“But all this waiting around with nothing to do is getting to us, you see~”

“Sub-Viceroy Euphemia… I beg of you. Please order us into combat!”

Suzaku begged, his voice firm and determined, and resonated with Euphemia’s heart. From the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, she knew he was being sincere. 

“How shallow! You just want the glory of rescuing the viceroy!”

“If just one machine could change the situation, no one would be having any trouble! And with a Number at the controls?”

“So~? What’s the harm in letting us try~? Even if we fail, it won’t reflect badly on you, will it~? Hey, are you listening~?”

Euphemia stared at Suzaku as she contemplated her decision. When suddenly, she noticed his lips moving, as if whispering to her.

Euphie…?

Memories of the time she spent with the honorary Britannia soldier before her resurfaced in her mind. 

His kind heart. His determination. His principle. And his strength. Even towards those who had ridiculed him and even put him unjustly in the guillotine for Clovis’ murder, he defended them when they needed help. 

Such a strong-willed man with an iron-clad principle… Perhaps if it was him…

“Understood. I shall leave it to you.”

“Alright~!”

“Thank you very much!”

“Yes! I swear to succeed!”

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

“Dammit…! He’s good!”

Back on the battlefield. Tohdoh and his team were still struggling to fight against Guilford and the rest of the royal guards as the two sides were stuck in a stalemate. 

Both were equally skilled. And although the Britannians had slightly more advanced machines, it didn’t give them the upper hand against the famous and skilled veterans that were Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords.

“Colonel! What about Cornelia?!”

“If Zero’s the man I think he is, then he’ll definitely have a plan! All we can do now is trust him!”

Meanwhile, within the cockpit of the Gloucester that belonged to Guilford, a communication message came to his attention.

“My lord. Zero has fallen back!”

“What? Are you serious?!”

“Y-Yes! According to the last transmission sent by an officer who had been struck down by Zero’s rear guards, he seemed to be retreating! We will be sending reinforcements to your location as soon as possible!”

“Zero comes first! Give me his location!”

“Y-Yes sir! This is Zero’s projected course!”

Guilford’s eyes widened in shock as soon as data on Zero’s projected course appeared on his screen. 

The red dots, which represented Zero and two other units, were heading towards point 9…!

Bloody hell! The Black knights are headed to where she intended to lead Tohdoh and the others!

“Princess Cornelia!!!”

“I hear you… Guilford.”

On the opposite side of the battlefield, standing within a ravine with walls of rock stretching up higher than the height of her knightmare frame, Cornelia replied solemnly to her personal knight as she stared at the sight before her. 

A crimson knightmare. A slightly different Burai which she assumed to be Zero. And a jet-black and crimson knightmare that slightly resembled the Lancelot, but brought with it a far more sinister air. 

In that standstill, the silence was suddenly broken as both the Guren and Cornelia’s customized Gloucester charged at each other.

“Cornelia!!!”

“Lowborn scum!”

Karen charged with her fork knife held in front of her and her silver, clawed right hand ready to grab Cornelia’s knightmare for a devastating Radiant Wave Surge attack. 

Cornelia pulled back her massive lance and thrusted right towards the Guren, who dodged to her right with a small leap. And as soon as the crimson knightmare landed back on the ground, she lunged towards Cornelia with her clawed hand. 

The britannia princess dodged the clawed hands by shooting her slash harkens to the rocky walls and pulling herself towards it in a split second decision. 

But with all the teachings and practice she had gotten from Mordred, Karen’s control over her Guren had improved vastly. 

In that split-second instant, Karen turned around and shoot her slash harken right towards the fleeing Cornelia, aiming to strike her right in the torso. 

“What the-?!”

Cornelia barely managed to deflect her slash harken by sacrificing her rifle and managed to gain distance away from the strange Crimson Knightmare.

“That’s not just a customized machine, is it…?”

Cornelia observed the crimson knightmare frame before her keenly. The pilot was obviously skilled. But the knightmare’s agility that allowed the pilot to do such a lightning quick and precise maneuver was also a worrying threat to her current situation. 

To make it worse, its greatest strength seemed to be melee combat, and she had just lost her gun. 

No… Perhaps, was that what she was aiming for…?

To shoot her harken slash at her from that position with that timing… She might’ve aimed at her torso, but perhaps, she did it not to harm her directly but to damage her gun and knock it off of her hand. 

Either way, she’s dangerous…

Her mind spun intensely as she tried to think of a strategy to beat the crimson knightmare that stood between her and her freedom. 

When suddenly, from the periphery of her vision, she noticed another knightmare flanking her and shooting her. 

She quickly dropped back down from the walls of the ravine when bullets peppered the part where she was just a few moments ago.

“This is already a checkmate, Cornelia.”

Upon hearing the unforgettable voice, Cornelia spun around and saw a horned burai knightmare frame standing above the walls of the ravine she was in. There wasn’t even a need for her to guess who it was as she had recognized the man by his voice. 

“Zero?!”

“Yes. Perhaps we should celebrate our reunion. However, before we do, I’d like you to please answer some of our questions and agree to some of our requests.”

Zero kept his gun aimed at her, ready to pull the trigger at any time, as he continued. 

“Oh, and please perish the hope of your reinforcements coming in time. Even if they do, they will simply fall before them.”

He gestured towards the jet-black and crimson knightmare by his side and to the Guren. 

“I have won, Cornelia.”

Silence fell upon the ravine.

The hopelessness of the situation was apparent even to Cornelia herself.

Having lost her gun, and her energy reserves at half, she knew it would be almost impossible for her to defeat the crimson knightmare before her. 

And even if she did… She couldn’t see a future in which she could also defeat the black and crimson knightmare and capture zero. It would take more than a miracle to do it. 

But, as a Viceroy and the Princess of Britannia, she would never show her weakness even ‘till the very end. 

She raised up from the ground and slammed the hilt of her lance onto the rocky ground. 

“Don’t be a fool, Zero. This one… If I just destroy this one, the path for my escape will open itself!”

Cornelia shot both of her slash harkens towards the Guren. But with agility that far surpassed even her customized Gloucester, it simply dodged with minimal movement and used its knight to cut the string off of her slash harkens.

“What a clever one you are!”

She charged and thrusted her lance right towards the center of the crimson knightmare. But it caught her lance with its silver, clawed right hand. 

Then suddenly, bright red energy and crackling of lightning burst forth from within its hand. 

“What?!”

Her lance began to bulge and swell before her right arm holding her lance met a similar fate. 

With quick reaction and decision making, she detached the right arm from her knightmare frame despite knowing the implication of losing both her only weapon left and a hand to fight with. 

But it proved to be the right decision, as in the next moment, they both explode right before her. 

Black smoke billowed and covered her entire vision. When suddenly, a slash harken pierced through it, aiming towards her. 

“This is bad!”

Cornelia failed to dodge the slash harken aimed towards her and barely managed to deflect it at the cost of her remaining arm. 

Then, a crimson knightmare appeared from within the cloud of smoke. Her clawed hand reached forward. 

“As long as I can get some distance-”

She reversed her movement backwards, aiming to create some distance between her and the crimson knightmare. But the clawed hand suddenly extended, catching her head. 

Cornelia’s eyes widened in shock. Her body reflexively forced her knightmare to go back as fast as possible, only to find it unable to overcome the strength of the crimson knightmare. 

Her life flashed before her eyes as she waited for the red burst of energy and lightning that came from the hand grasping her head right now to appear and claim her life. 

But it didn’t. 

Instead, it crushed it into pieces. And with its hold on her vanishing, she stumbled back onto the ground and landed on her side. 

“How about now…? Are you willing to listen now, Cornelia?”

“...”